They don't even turn up to the jobs

[saysdavid]

Not arguing with you on that one. Just highlighting that under any lease, the requirement to have a secure residence is a responsibility of the landlord not the tenant.

When the problem happened is inconsequential.

[Croman]

In this case the tennant was already there. Whether they like it or not, when things go wrong, tennants are inconvinienced. I was just wondering if it was neccessary for Victorboy to lose a days work and $600 in the process.

[saysdavid]

Croman - doesn't mean you have to be there, just means you are responsible and you shouldn't be expecting the tenant to be inconvenienced.

I am guessing you have a real estate agent who takes care of your rental, which means you transfer their responsibility onto them.

I am both a renter and a landlord. We have had trouble with the locks at the place I rent and I always insist that the real estate agent either organise someone outside of working hours to fix or they come to the property and wait for the handyman - im not wasting my leave on things that are not my responsibility!

[Croman]

"Croman - securing a property is actually a landlord's responsibility, so the tenant does not have to be inconvenienced in the process."

Even if by law the landlord is responsible to secure the property, surely it doesn't mean that the landlord has to be there physically. I would hate to think that I would have to be there in person when something goes wrong with the lock at a rental property in Melbourne, as I live in Sydney. So far I was never required to attend in person. Same thing when I owned a property in Queensland.

[saysdavid]

Isn't it just annoying when workmen just don't turn up?? I had a problem with a handyman that my real-estate agent was a preferred supplier with (im in a rental).

After wasting my time twice, I advised the real-estate agent that this company will not be given authority to do any works on the place, and the real estate agent soon found someone else.

Croman - securing a property is actually a landlord's responsibility, so the tenant does not have to be inconvenienced in the process.

My suggestion would be, get a real estate agent to take care of the rental, and let them do the running around. Its what they're there for, and its tax deductable.

[Croman]

It is frustrating when they just don't turn up. It happens all the time. I agree that they should compensate you for it somehow, but they never do.

Vectorboy, was there a need for you to be there? Surely your tennant could have looked after it.

[Vectorboy]

I own a rental property and had to change the locks on the house because the previous tenants were harassing the new tenants. I booked the lock smith a week early and on the day they didn't turn up. I sat there with the tenants (looking quite foolish) waiting and then I decided to call him, only to hear that he had no booking for my job. I thought i must have been mistaken somehow but when i got home i read my notes and discovered that I was correct, it was the correct time and date and the correct company.
I called him back to find that he had 'apparently' employed some young guy to answer his phones and obviously this young guy didn't make the booking with the locksmith/owner. The owner said too bad but if i want i have to book him again and still pay the call out fees etc.

My question is... who pays my days lost wages after I had to cancel jobs to cater for him to attend? Given that the problem was on his end I would expected a little more empathy or some compromise with the call out fee.

For the record I lost just under $600 that day in my canceled jobs to make time for the locksmith and he would have stood to gain close to $450 with locks and labor included... what a goose!

Some people have no idea how to run a business.